At Pacific Cove, 24 coaches for sale, as Capitola plans for parking lot

CAPITOLA -- This summer, what used to be the Pacific Cove Mobile Home Park is slated to provide much-needed parking spaces for visitors to Capitola Village.

Right now, it looks like a lot of work is needed to transform the property from one use to the next.

Two dozen mobile homes, most of them owned by the city, are sitting in the 41-space park at 426 Capitola Ave., awaiting removal, along with empty cement pads. Dumpsters are filled with debris, and the hillsides have been stripped of non-native vegetation.

"We are still aiming for the parking lot to open sometime this summer," said Public Works Director Steve Jesberg. "Design, permitting and environmental review are under way currently. Actual construction should take 45 to 60 days."

The City Council approved the parking lot project in August.

Lisa Murphy, the city's administrative services manager, said the mobile homes had to be tested for asbestos before the Monterey Bay Unified Air Pollution Control District would approve their removal.

A few coach owners found places that accepted older mobile homes, but Ann Schroedel and Larry Machado did not. Both own double-wide mobile homes.

"We couldn't move them," Schroedel said. "No one would accept them. We had to abandon them. I would love to have my mobile home, but it's history now."

She added, "It's pretty traumatic when you lose your home."

She joined with Machado and four coach owners to sue the city, seeking fair market value rather than "blue book" value for their mobile homes.

The lawsuit was filed in November by San Jose attorney Bruce Stanton, who specializes in mobile home law.

The city put a lien on coaches owned by Schroedel and Machado for storage charges and advertised an auction of their property for Monday morning.

But no one came to bid.

"I had a feeling no one would show," said Schroedel, noting the sale wasn't posted at the front of City Hall or the mobile home park.

Schroedel was successful when she filed for damages in small claims court against the city and the county. Each jurisdiction contends the other is responsible for maintenance of the drainpipe that failed in March 2011, triggering flooding into the mobile home park and the village.

Schrodel said her losses totaled $12,500. The pipe, she said, went underneath her living room and had not been repaired properly.

The judge found in her favor against the county and awarded her $10,000, but the county appealed. When the county offered her $9,500 to settle, she accepted.

In November, the council awarded a $112,000 contract to Ebert Corp. of San Jose to repair a 950-foot stretch of the pipe.

Murphy said the city has sold some coaches and is willing to sell what is left. Potential buyers can reach her at 475-7300.